][1]Having launched at the beginning of August, The George Street Bar and Grill is carving itself a comfortable niche at the Charlotte Square end of what may well be one of Edinburgh’s most competitive streets.
Opening onto George Street, it is an elegant space that treads a confident line between the grandeur of its Georgian setting and the casual informality of tables which are set with glowing candles, napkins and highly polished glasses but not table cloths.
Street life
Some swish designer lighting, wood panelling and large windows looking onto the passing street life complete the picture.
When the weather is good, and particularly in the mid-to-late afternoon, there is an outdoor terrace for those that fancy a little al fresco frisson.
All in all, The George Street Bar and Grill is a good looking space that has New Town style without, how shall we put it, the New Town tendency towards red cord trousers.
All-day brasserie classics
An all day menu of brasserie style classics is supplemented by separate menus for coffee and brunch; pre-theatre; afternoon tea; lunch and Sunday lunch plus children’s dining. It is all looked after by Andy McRoberts and his team in the kitchen.
The 5pm Dining blog is no authority on what children like to eat. However, the kids’ menu at The George Street Bar and Grill looks like a good balance between the familiar things that children like to eat and food that is good for them. The roast, free-range chicken dinner looks a corker.
The all day menu is a neat mix of the dainty and the hearty. Think tempura vegetables on one side and pig’s cheek terrine on the other.
If you wanted to pick out the most classic brasserie dishes then the seared calves’ liver with mash and crispy bacon or mussels and fries would be first in the queue.
Popular Sunday lunches
Sunday lunches with a changing roster of roasts are popular and we are told that the grass-fed, dry aged Buccleuch steaks are flying out of the door.
The restaurant manager also recommends the daily fish special on account of the fact that it tends to be rather more interesting than the usual farmed sea bass which is often offered up as the catch of the day.
The affogato, or vanilla ice cream in espresso, is a big hit, especially when a shot of liqueur is added.
][3]Cocktails
As you might expect, The George Street Bar and Grill has a wide appeal. Business lunches are busy while the bar fills up with shoppers taking a break in the afternoon.
The crowd is family-oriented during the weekend days. At night, The George Street Bar and Grill is favoured by everyone from couples having a candle-lit dinner to the fashionable George Street party people.
From the cocktail list, the Aperol Spritz is said to be a big fave of the latter although the Bikini Martini also has its followers.
You can see the 5pm offers from The George Street Bar and Grill here.